


Call-a-Caroller

by deinde_prandium



Series: Call-Caroller [1]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, Holidays, carolling!Katniss, glasses!Peeta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 16:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5633017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deinde_prandium/pseuds/deinde_prandium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peeta Mellark has three weeks to prepare his fourth grade class for his school's annual Christmas concert. Only one problem: he's completely tone-deaf. The solution? Capitol University's Call-a-Caroller hotline, and its musical superstar, Katniss Everdeen.</p><p>Holiday fluff inspired by Dial-a-Carol at the University of Illinois. Originally posted on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 was dedicated to ellembee for her birthday. If you haven't already read everything she's posted, do that first before reading this. :)
> 
> As always, I own nothing, but I borrow with love.

_To: All Grade Level Teachers **  
**_

_Re: Christmas concert_

_This year’s annual Christmas concert will be held on Friday, December 18, at 7pm. Please refer to the attached list for the song to which your class has been assigned._

_As a reminder, classroom teachers are responsible for ensuring that students have learned their respective songs. Rehearsals may take the place of afternoon homeroom/advisory. As Ms. Undersee is occupied with preparing the school band, she will only be able to assist teachers on the final rehearsal days._

_I cannot emphasize enough the significance of this event to our school community. Accordingly, I trust that you will approach the preparation of your students with the gravitas that this concert merits._

_If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the office._

_E. Trinket_

_Principal, St. Alma’s Catholic Junior School_

 

Peeta shook his head in dismay as he stared at the song title listed by his name on the faculty memo. He knew that he faced a steep learning curve as a first year teacher at St. Alma’s - something that recent budget cuts didn’t seem to help - but for the most part, he had just rolled with the punches when it came to new challenges or responsibilities.

He did not, however, anticipate that he would be adding “music teacher” to his list of responsibilities. In fact, no one who had ever heard him try to sing would have, either.

And now he was expected to teach 24 fourth graders how to sing a carol he’d never even heard of, for what appeared to be the biggest event in the school calendar? Yeah, no pressure there.

The buzz of his students returning to class from PE brought him back to the present. Peeta mentally kicked himself; having spent half the period panicking, he hadn’t taken the time to do some much-needed research on YouTube.

Standing from his desk chair, Peeta took a deep breath and got back into teacher mode. Clapping his hands, he signalled that class had officially resumed. “Okay, ladies and gentlemen!” he intoned as they settled down. “As you know, our annual Christmas concert is only three weeks away, and we’ve got a song to prepare. Unfortunately, Ms. Undersee doesn’t have time to rehearse with every class before the big day, so we will be devoting some of our afternoon homeroom time to learning your piece.”

“What’s the song?” one of the kids asked.

“‘The Holly and the Ivy.’ Has anyone ever heard of it?” _Please say yes, please someone say yes_ , he prayed silently. The blank stares of his students, however, did not seem all that encouraging.

A lone hand shot up in the air after what seemed like an eternity. “Yes, Posy?”

“I don’t know the song,” the little girl admitted. “But my cousin Katniss does for sure. She knows all the Christmas songs.”

Peeta wasn’t exactly sure how this information was supposed to help, but he decided to humor her anyway. “That’s awesome. But how do you know she knows this one?”

“She sings with this group at her school. People call in from all over the world to ask them to sing Christmas songs over the phone, 24 hours a day. It’s really cool. Me and my brothers called last week, and they sang like four different songs!” Posy explained enthusiastically. “It’s called Call-a-Caroller.”

An idea began to form in Peeta’s head. Maybe there was a way to make this work, after all. “Okay, I’ll look into it while you guys are having lunch. Thanks for the tip,” he told her. Turning his attention to the rest of the class, he announced, “but for now, let’s get back to working on long division…”

He chuckled at the chorus of groans that rang out in the classroom. At least he knew they could  _complain_ in unison.

—

“Happy holidays, and thank you for phoning Call-a-Caroller! At the tone, please state your name, location, and the title of the song you wish to hear, followed by the number key.”

Peeta dutifully rattled off the requisite details before putting the call on speaker and setting his phone on the desk. There were four other callers ahead of him; now all he had to do was wait.

Although he knew that running to YouTube was much easier than calling into a caroling hotline, he couldn’t help but admit that his curiosity had been piqued after doing some research on the group. As it turned out, Posy hadn’t been exaggerating when she said people called them from all over the world; Call-a-Caroller had been featured on the local news, NPR, and even the _Panem Post_. The more he read, the more he wanted to get them involved somehow with his class. Maybe some project about community outreach through song…

Just as Peeta’s imagination began to run wild with thoughts of how to present his project ideas to the principal, the sound of the phone ringing brought him back to earth.

“Hi, thanks for your patience!” a young man greeted cheerfully. “It’s been really busy with all the exposure we’ve been getting lately. My name is Darius. Says here your name is Peter?”

“Peeta,” he corrected amiably. “I’m a teacher at St. Alma’s in Seamville, and one of my students told me about you guys…there’s a carol I need to teach my kids that I’ve never even heard of, and she said you know every Christmas song in the world.”

“Well, she’s not completely wrong,” Darius confirmed with a laugh. “How did she hear about us?”

“Oh, she said her cousin sings with you guys…I think her name is Katherine? Katniss?”

“Katniss? She’s here, actually…she’s our obscure carols expert, so if anyone can help you, it’s her! Let me go get her for you.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary, I-” Peeta tried to say, but Darius was already gone.

Next thing he knew, the low voice of a young woman cautiously greeted him, “Hello?”

The sound of Katniss’s voice sent a jolt through Peeta, and he suddenly felt rather nervous. Was this inappropriate, calling up some college girl on the recommendation from a nine-year-old and asking her to sing for him? _No_ , he reminded himself, _this is what they do. It’s a fucking carolling hotline_. Nonetheless, he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling strangely embarrassed with how this was all going down.

The words tumbled out in an uncharacteristically awkward mess as he tried to explain why he had called. “Uh, hi, yes, is this Katniss? My name is Peeta Mellark, and I’m a 4th grade teacher at St. Alma’s. Posy - your cousin Posy, Posy Hawthorne - is in my class, and she told me you might be able to help me with a carol they are singing for the school Christmas concert. It’s, uh, it’s called ‘The Holly and the Ivy,’ and I’m supposed to teach it to them, and I’m both musically clueless and tone deaf, but it’s also my first year at this school and I want their performance to be good, and Posy thought you guys could help, but then your friend Darius said you’re the only one who knows it, so...yeah…” He trailed off. “That’s probably more than you needed to know.”

Thankfully, his ramblings didn’t make Katniss want to hang up. “There’s always YouTube, you know,” she pointed out, but there was no malice or sarcasm in her response. It was actually quite…playful.

“Yeah, I know,” he replied sheepishly. “But I can’t seem to find something without the extra bells and whistles and background music. I’m a terrible singer to begin with, so if I’m going to learn this, I need something simple. Plus, I can’t really say no to the idea of having someone serenade me.” Peeta smacked himself internally for letting that last comment slip. The last thing he needed was to have this girl think he was trying to flirt with her.

For her part, Katniss seemed unruffled. Perhaps she was used to dealing with idiots over the phone. “Well, we’ll see what we can do,” she responded, her voice neutral. “'The Holly and the Ivy,’ you said, right? Just let me check my lyrics book.”

After a moment, Katniss cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and sang.

 _The holly and the ivy,_  
_When they are both full grown,_  
_Of all the trees that are in the wood,_  
_The holly bears the crown._  
_O, the rising of the sun_  
_And the running of the deer,_  
_The playing of the merry organ,_  
_Sweet singing in the choir…_

She sang the rest of the verses too, but the words didn’t really register. Rather, Peeta was mesmerized by the lilt of Katniss’s clear voice coming through the phone as it weaved through the song’s sweet and simple melody. When she finished, the silence left a strange void in his heart.

“Uh…hello? Are you still there?” Katniss asked.

“What? Oh, yes, sorry,” he blurted out. “That…that was absolutely beautiful.”

“Oh, um, thank you,” she replied quietly. Peeta wondered if she was blushing as she spoke. “I hope that helped you learn the melody. It’s a lovely song.”

“Definitely,” he agreed. Before he could stop himself, he continued, “But I may still need a bit of help teaching the kids. Perhaps I could get you to sing it for them when we practice this afternoon? Unless you have class, or have an exam to study for?” Cringing at the verbal diarrhea that seemed to flow unabated from his mouth, he added, “Sorry, I don’t mean to pawn this off on you or anything. I must seem like the laziest teacher in the world.”

“That’s okay,” Katniss assured him. After a brief silence, she went on. “You know what? Yes. I’ll help. I mean, ‘tis the season, right? Besides, you’re Posy’s teacher, and she’s practically like another sister to me. She’d love it if I helped out.”

“Seriously? You would be saving me, you have no idea.”

“Yeah. Can you call before 4? I have a class after that.”

“Oh, for sure,” Peeta replied enthusiastically. “I have them at the end of the day from 3 to 3:30. Does that work for you?”

“Yeah, that should be good.”

Peeta couldn’t believe his luck. “Okay. Okay, great. That’s great. I will…I will talk to you then. Thank you. Thank you, this is great.”

“Great,” Katniss repeated with a chuckle. “Uh, thanks for phoning Call-a-Caroller. Talk to you soon.”

Ending the call, Peeta removed his glasses and cleaned them with the hem of his shirt as he tried to figure out what in the world had just happened.

He still didn’t know the song. And he didn’t know the singer..not really, anyway. But he did know one thing: he was a goner.


	2. Chapter 2

“Okay guys, we’re the next callers in line, so I need everyone at their desks with their music out before I put Miss Katniss on the phone!” Peeta called out, sending his students into an excited flurry of activity. Although he had been blessed with a good group, getting them to settle down for classroom activities had always been a challenge. But not, however, when it came to Katniss. Just the sound of her name seemed to inspire them to want to be the most angelic students in the whole school.

Peeta marvelled at the effect she had had on them from the first moment. When he’d phoned into Call-a-Caroller just a week before, he had braced himself for the worst. But as soon as she started singing, the entire class fell silent. By the time she’d finished the song, one could hear a pin drop in the classroom.

After that, they begged him to call back every day during homeroom for rehearsal. Apparently they were as taken with Katniss as Peeta was.

“It’s ringing! You ready, kids?” As if he needed to ask.

“Ready!” they chorused.

Peeta held his hand up, signalling for the class to be quiet as he negotiated the beginning of the call.

“Hello, thanks for holding!” a bubbly voice chirped over the line. “My name is Delly. What can we sing for you today?”

“Hello, Delly. This is Peeta Mellark calling from-”

“-St. Alma’s Catholic Junior School!” the kids chanted loudly in unison, interrupting their teacher. Apparently they had memorized his daily spiel.

Peeta stifled a laugh as he continued. “As you heard, my students and I are calling from St. Alma’s. We’re kind of regulars now. I believe that Katniss is expecting our call?”

“Oh my god, you’re the teacher! We have heard soooo much about you,” Delly gushed. “What you and Katniss are doing is so sweet. And she’s so talented! Did you know she’s like a musical genius? I mean, of course you already knew she’s a music major, but I swear her compositions are as good as what you hear in the movies.”

 _A music major? That makes a lot of sense_ , Peeta thought. He listened with interest as Delly rattled on. “Katniss is just finishing up a song for another caller, so she’ll just be another minute. Oh, she will be so happy to sing for you guys next. She’s usually so shy, but she just lights up after her calls with you. It’s basically the best part of her day. Such a wonderful way to connect during the holiday season, isn’t it?“  
  
Peeta felt his heart skip a beat with all the information he was getting. The rational part of him said that it had nothing to with him, and everything to do with helping out a bunch of mildly unruly but generally adorable children - one of whom was her own cousin. But he couldn’t help but wonder if at least a small part of her happiness might be attributed to the little chats they always had at the beginning and end of each call.  
  
_No_ , he chastised himself. _You’re doing this for the kids, not to impress a girl who’s probably way too young for you and not at all interested..._  
  
“Are you okay, Mr. Mellark? You look a little red,” Rue Stenberg asked with concern.  
  
“What? Oh, I’m fine,” Peeta said quickly, suddenly glad he still hadn’t put the call on speaker. If the kids had heard Delly wax poetic about how much Katniss enjoyed working with Peeta, he had a feeling they would know exactly why he was feeling warm. “Miss Katniss is just singing for another person, she’ll be right with us.”  
  
“You know,” Posy pointed out, “this would be a lot easier if we did this over Skype or something. Then Katn- I mean, Miss Katniss- can conduct us like a real choir.  
  
"Yeah!” Marvel Rogers shouted in agreement. “Then we don’t have to be put on hold every time, too!”  
  
“Hold your horses, guys,” Peeta cautioned. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourselves. We’d need to talk to Mr. Latier about using the projector, and ask permission from Ms. Trinket…not to mention, Miss Katniss is probably super busy and might not be able to.”  
  
“Might not be able to what?”  
  
Peeta froze at the sound of Katniss’s voice. “Oh, uh, hello Katniss. It’s Peeta Mellark calling from St. Alma’s Catholic Junior School.”  
  
“Yeah, I know,” she replied, laughing lightly. “You’ve introduced yourself the same way every day for the past week.”  
  
“Right. Of course,” he said, feeling his cheeks warm again. _Real cool, Mellark._

“It’s okay. I mean, at least I always know I’m talking to the right person,” Katniss joked, putting him at ease. “So what were you guys talking about just now?”  
  
“Oh, the kids were wondering if we can start doing these sessions over Skype instead of over the phone,” Peeta explained. He gave his students a pointed look when he continued, “But I reminded them that it would be awfully presumptuous of them to assume that you would be available, given that you’re already going above and beyond to help us during what is certainly a busy time for you.”  
  
“What does ‘presumptuous’ mean?” Cato Alexander called out, earning a chuckle from Katniss on the other line.  
  
Peeta silenced the little boy with a look, then went on. “Anyway, I don’t want to impose in any way at all. In any event, I’d have to talk to the principal and the tech teacher beforehand if we wanted to set up any rehearsals by video conference.”  
  
“I wouldn’t actually mind,” Katniss admitted. “I mean, I’m not an experienced conductor, but it would probably make your practices a bit easier if they could see me. Plus, I could add it to my resume or something.”  
  
“Really? Okay, yeah, let’s try that. I mean, maybe not right this second, but give me a few days and I can probably make something happen.”  
  
“Awesome. Why don’t I give you my number and we can discuss the logistics?”  
  
Grabbing a pen, Peeta fought the grin that threatened to overtake his face as he jotted down her number. “Okay, got it. When should I call you? I’m free basically whenever.”  
  
“I have class until 6, but we can talk any time after that, if you want? And then maybe we can start on Monday? That should give you some time to talk to people at the school and make whatever arrangements you need.”  
  
“Wow, yeah, that would be amazing. Thank you, Katniss.”  
  
“Anytime, Peeta. I’m happy to help.”  
  
“And I’m happy you’re helping us. I’ll call you tonight. Bye.”  
  
Anxious to end the call before he put his foot back in his mouth, Peeta quickly hung up. Slightly dazed by what had just transpired, he breathed a sigh of relief that for once, he hadn’t made a complete fool of himself.  
  
Remembering where he was, Peeta looked up, only to find 24 faces smirking at him. He looked at them in confusion. “What?”  
  
“Mr. Mellark,” Rue said with a patience that belied her nine and a half years, “you hung up on Miss Katniss before we had the chance to sing with her.”  
  
_Shit._

—

Peeta checked the time on his phone as he paced the length of his living room. 6:14pm. He was anxious to redeem himself for botching the call to Call-a-Caroller that afternoon, and the first step in doing so was to make sure he didn’t come across as a creep in addition to a total moron.

To her credit, when they called back, Katniss had just laughed off the whole thing as a silly mistake and proceeded as if nothing had happened. But he wouldn’t have blamed her if she thought he was the world’s least capable teacher.

How he had developed a habit for humiliating himself in their conversations was a complete mystery to him. Peeta wasn’t one to brag, but he prided himself on being an excellent communicator. It’s what had gotten him through school, helped him get this job, and even what had allowed him to persuade Principal Trinket to give permission for these virtual rehearsals without having to go through miles of red tape. Adults, children - they all loved him. He was good - no, great - with people.

So why was he incapable of behaving like anything other than a bumbling idiot around Katniss?

He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something about her that just seemed to have this effect on him. At first, he had just attributed it to her singing voice; every time he heard her sing, he swore the birds stopped to listen as well. But the more he thought about it, it was really just her - the easy manner in which Katniss responded to his every misstep, the smile he could picture her giving the kids as she greeted them over the phone - it just made him want to know her better.

 _Stop_ , he scolded himself for the fifth time. _Katniss is your student’s_ cousin. _She’s volunteering to help you out. Don’t fuck this up by developing some stupid crush. Stay. Professional._

Resolved, Peeta took a deep breath and dialled Katniss’s number.

She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Hi Katniss? This is Peeta. Peeta Mellark?”

“From St. Alma’s Catholic Junior School?” Katniss deadpanned. Peeta couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on his face.

“Uh, yeah. I guess that’s pretty obvious at this point, isn’t it?”

“It’s fine. I like it. You’re very…consistent,” she said.

Peeta wasn’t sure whether she was complimenting or teasing him, so he remained silent. But then the silence threatened to stretch into awkwardness, so he decided to plow on.

“So, about the-”

“Are you still-”

Nervous laughter followed on both ends of the line when they realized they’d started talking at the same time. “I didn’t mean to interrupt!” Katniss said apologetically. “You were saying?”

“Oh, yeah, no, it’s fine,” Peeta replied with a shake of his head. After a beat, he started again. “I have to apologize. I’m normally not like this - I mean, I stand in front of a room of kids and teach all day, right? But all I have to do is pick up the phone, and I turn into a complete mess.” He didn’t add that it only seemed to happen when he was talking to her.

Katniss hummed in understanding. “I totally get what you mean. I’m the same way.”

“What? You’ve been fine, what are you talking about?”

“Okay, well maybe not exactly the same, but I know how you feel. I’m fine over the phone. Something about dealing with faceless individuals rather than being able to see the judgy looks on people I deal with personally…it’s weirdly comforting. But face to face, I’m just terrible. I’m actually kind of nervous about Skyping with your kids, even if it’s just Posy and her friends,” Katniss admitted.

“You have nothing to worry about,” he assured her. “Everyone in that classroom is completely in love with you. You won’t have any trouble at all.”

Katniss didn’t respond, and Peeta immediately regretted his choice of words. He decided to move to a safer topic before things got awkward again. “Anyway, I spoke to Mr. Latier in the Tech Department as well as Principal Trinket, and they said it shouldn’t be any problem setting up a virtual classroom for you and the kids. In fact, Ms. Trinket is pretty thrilled to see how this works out! We’ll just need to know your Skype details and set up a time that’s convenient. We can even schedule the rehearsals at a different time of day so that it doesn’t interfere with your classes, or exams, or working with Call-a-Caroller…the last thing we want to do is inconvenience you, considering how much help you’re giving us.”

“Thank you, Peeta,” Katniss replied sincerely.

“No, thank you,” he said. “You’re making me look like a pro teacher here, with all the tech stuff and bringing in the star singer for a world famous carolling group.”

“Okay, now you’re just being sarcastic.”

“I’m not! Your voice, it’s...it's angelic,” Peeta confessed. “I wasn’t surprised at all when I found out you were studying music.”

“How did you know that?”

Peeta froze, caught. _Great. Now she thinks I’m a stalker, too_. “Uh, Delly at Call-a-Caroller told me. I think she would have given me the bios of every person working there if you hadn’t come on the line.”

“Yeah, that sounds like her,” Katniss replied with a sigh. “But now I have to work with the knowledge that you know all this stuff about me, and I don’t really know anything about you.”

“Well, that’s not actually true. I mean, I don’t even know your last name. You definitely know mine.”

“Fair enough, Peeta Mellark from St. Alma’s Catholic Junior School. My name is Katniss Everdeen, I’m 21 years old, and I’m a senior at Capitol University. Any other critical info that we need to exchange before we move on?”

Peeta’s eyes widened as he took in her words…was she flirting with him? Despite every instinct telling him not to read too much into it, he couldn’t help but respond in kind.

“Well, if we’re going to be working together like this, I’m going to need to know the deep stuff.”

“The deep stuff,” Katniss repeated. “Such as?”

“What’s your favorite color?”

He swore he could hear her smile over the phone.

—

“All right guys, I’m going to set the timer, and by the time the bell rings I need everyone seated with their music in front of them before we Skype with Miss Katniss,” Peeta instructed.

“You’re not going to hang up on her again, are you Mr. Mellark?” Marvel asked with a smirk.

“Be quiet, Marvel! That was an accident,” Leevy Stone scolded.

“Yeah,” Posy agreed. “Besides, I talked to Katniss last night, and she didn’t think it was a big deal.” Her eyes gleamed mischievously as she added, “In fact, I think she likes you, Mr. Mellark.”

A collective “Oooooooooh!” rippled through the classroom, stopping Peeta in his tracks.

“Oh my god, that would be so cute!” Rue exclaimed.

“That’s not possible, they haven’t even met yet. Have you, Mr. Mellark?” Leevy asked.

“Yeah, what if she’s ugly?” Cato interjected.

“She’s not ugly!” Posy argued. “She’s really, really pretty. And smart. She’s graduating this year, too, so she’s not that much younger than Mr. Mellark. At least I don’t think so. How old are you, Mr. Mellark?”

“Okay guys, I think this conversation needs to focus a bit less on me and Miss Katniss, and a bit more on getting ready for your rehearsal,” Peeta chided. “Plus, Principal Trinket said she’d be stopping by during our rehearsal, so I’m going to need all of you to be on your best behaviour. That means no messing around, and it especially means not asking Miss Katniss personal questions that could embarrass her,” he added, looking directly at Cato as he spoke.

His words having had the intended effect, Peeta went back to his laptop and finished signing in as his students finally settled down. However, he couldn’t help but think about what Posy had said just moments before. While he knew that he needed to take the little girl’s word with a boulder of salt, the truth was, the revelation that Katniss might be interested thrilled him. While Friday’s phone conversation had never officially crossed the line from friendly to flirty, he couldn’t deny feeling like there was an undercurrent of something deeper brewing between them.

And now they were going to meet. Sort of.

 _Stay cool. You’re doing this for the kids_ , he thought as he clicked the ‘video call’ button.

The kids bounced excitedly in their seats as they waited for the call to connect. With each ring, Peeta could feel his own anticipation rising.

And then, she was there.

Peeta wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but he thought his heart might stop when he finally saw Katniss for the first time. She was dressed simply in an olive green sweater, her face was free of makeup. A thick, dark braid hung over her shoulder, and despite the glare of the computer screen he could make out the silver color in her eyes.

Posy had been wrong. Her cousin wasn’t pretty. She was absolutely stunning.

She also looked like she had seen a ghost.

Seemingly frozen in place with a look bordering on panic, Katniss couldn’t seem to tear her gaze from where he was standing in the back of the room. That’s when it hit him: _she must be nervous_. Remembering what she had said over the phone, Peeta jumped in right away to take the reins. “Hi there, Miss Katniss, and welcome to St. Alma’s. Would you like me to introduce you to your singers?”

Katniss nodded weakly, clearly relieved at his intervention. “Thank you, Mr. Mellark. That would be lovely.”

Once the initial nerves (on both sides) had calmed down, the rehearsal itself actually went quite smoothly. The kids had totally been right; having Katniss conduct made it significantly easier for them to follow along, and after mastering the full melody they even asked if they could add some harmonies for extra interest. By the final verse, they had managed to sing in a simple but sweet two-part harmony:

 _The holly and the ivy_  
_Now both are full well grown,_  
_Of all the trees that are in the wood,_  
_The holly bears the crown._  
_O, the rising of the sun_  
_And the running of the deer_  
_The playing of the merry organ_  
_Sweet singing of the choir_

“That was just marvellous!” a voice exclaimed when the students finished their song. All eyes went to the doorway, where Principal Trinket stood, applauding the group with gusto. “You must be Miss Hawthorne’s cousin Katniss. We have heard such wonderful things about you from Mr. Mellark, and I see that he was not exaggerating in the slightest when he praised you and your musical talents so highly. Oh, you and Mr. Mellark make quite a team, don’t you? What you have been able to accomplish in the span of a single virtual rehearsal is nothing short of a wonder. Very, very impressive!”

Peeta paid little attention to Ms. Trinket as she continued in her effusive praise of Katniss and her volunteer efforts in the aid of his class. Rather, he was more concerned with how Katniss appeared to grow increasingly uncomfortable with every compliment that Effie piled on. Peeta racked his brain in an effort to figure out how to rescue her without pissing his principal off. But just when he had thought of the perfect excuse, he was drawn straight back into the conversation.

“-I assume that Mr. Mellark has invited you to the Christmas concert itself, of course. Oh, the students will absolutely love having you there!”

Peeta gulped. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t invited her. He hadn’t really thought that far ahead.

He watched helplessly as the children in his class responded with their own shouts of excitement at the prospect of meeting Miss Katniss, who for her part looked like she was about to run away.

Effie beamed, completely oblivious to Katniss’ discomfort. “Well, it’s settled then. I’ll leave it to Mr. Mellark to discuss the specifics with you. Oh, how wonderful. Just wonderful. Carry on!” she sang as she waltzed out the door.

Peeta rubbed the back of his neck, giving Katniss a sheepish smile. “Um, so, it would be an honour if you could join our class at St. Alma’s annual Christmas concert on the 18th. Of course, it would be completely understandable if you can’t make it, or if you have finals to study for, or -”

“No. I mean, yes. I mean, no I don’t have plans, so yes, I’ll be there,” Katniss replied, the corners of her mouth turned up ever-so-slightly.

The class cheered.

Peeta’s eyes lit up at her affirmative response. “That’s great. That, that’s awesome. Okay, yeah. Great. Um, so, it’s at 7pm, but the kids will be here earlier, so if you want, you can-”

“Hey Mr. Mellark, the bell’s about to ring,” Marvel interrupted.

“Yeah,” Posy agreed. “Why don’t you call her later and you can make your plans…just the two of you?”

“Yeah,” Rue piped in, giving him a knowing smile. “Like a date.”

The ring of the final bell saved Peeta from having to respond. Instead, he found himself shouting over the din of the classroom as the kids jumped up to pack their belongings and go home. “I guess I’ll call you later?”

“Sounds good. Bye!” Katniss replied, signing off with a wave.

“Bye!” everyone yelled.

Peeta shook his head with a bemused smile as he shifted his focus to their school dismissal routine.  _What a day_ , he thought. _What a day._

Heading to the door, Peeta went about the usual task of seeing his students off as they left the classroom for the day. But just as the last of them was heading out, Cato Alexander paused by the doorway, adjusting the strap of his backpack as he looked up at him expectantly.

“Everything all right, kiddo?” he asked.

The little boy smirked. “You totally lucked out, Sir,” he said.

“Pardon me?”

“Miss Katniss. She’s not ugly after all. I say go for it.”

“Go home, Cato.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to my secret snowflake (and a generally awesome person), gentlemama

Peeta was in trouble.

As much as he kept telling himself to _stay professional_ or _remember the kids_ , the reality of the situation was that what was supposed to be an innocent schoolboy (or in this case, schoolteacher) crush was quickly snowballing into something else entirely. While he managed to keep himself in check during their interactions over phone or Skype, thoughts of Katniss had strayed into his mind with increasing frequency when he was alone - many of which were far more intense, and some of which were definitely not innocent.

He just couldn’t seem to get her out of his head.

Objectively speaking, he knew that his burgeoning feelings for Katniss were completely ill-advised. Sure, he was only a couple years older than her, but she was still in college. And his student’s cousin - something that could undoubtedly land him in hot water if Effie had any suspicion his motivation for working with Katniss was anything other than educational. And then there was the part about how they’d known each other for less than three weeks, and still hadn’t met yet…

None of this, by the way, seemed to matter to his students, who seemed determined to play Cupid. The other day, he’d overheard Leevy and Rue giggling about how they ‘ _totally ship Mr. Mellark with Miss Katniss’_ \- it took a visit to Urban Dictionary to discover what that meant, and when he did, he was equal parts relieved that ‘shipping’ didn’t refer to anything inappropriate and mortified at the level of interest the girls had taken in his love life.

Not that he didn’t ship himself with her, too, but that was a different point entirely.

Of course, there was also a question of whether or not Katniss felt the same way. In class, she withstood the kids’ thinly veiled matchmaking efforts like a true professional - never shooting them (and by extension, him) down outright, but not indulging them either. In fact, aside from the occasional blush that would rise to her cheeks whenever a student (usually Posy, who had assumed the title of ringleader in the class’s endeavor to bring them together) said something particularly bold, there was little to suggest that her feelings for Peeta ran any deeper than friendly acquaintance.

Except, somehow they had taken to talking every night over the phone. Even on the weekend.

It had started as an opportunity to debrief after each rehearsal; she’d give feedback on where the class needed to make improvements, and he’d give her tips on how to handle some of his more outspoken students. After all, if they worked as a team, there would be no way for the kids to play one off the other.

But after the daily post-mortem, they’d always come up with some excuse to stay on the line longer, revealing a bit more about themselves each day. It was through these conversations that Peeta found out that Katniss loved archery almost as much as she loved music, but neither of them could hold a candle to her love for her sister. It was in these chats that he admitted that his parents didn’t really support his choice of career, wishing instead that he had opted to continue in the family baking business (not, he was quick to point out, that he was a terrible baker - he just loved being a teacher). Likes, dislikes, horror stories and funny experiences…Peeta was eager to share as much of himself as Katniss was willing to share with him.

But then, Peeta had to go and screw it all up this evening, when Katniss interrupted their usual getting-to-know-you chatter to make a special request.

“Hey, Peeta…I almost forgot. Um, so you know about the concert?”

“What concert?” he asked, feigning innocence.

“The one that’s happening in three days, you dork,” Katniss replied.

“Dork? I think you’ve been spending too much time with my students,” Peeta countered with a chuckle.

He was rewarded with a laugh on the other line. “Yeah, that’s probably true. But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she told him.

Peeta grinned in spite of himself. “Neither would I. So yeah, what about the concert?”

Katniss hesitated for a moment before answering his question. “Well,” she began, “I was wondering if I could bring a guest.”

“Sure,” he replied easily. “Is it Prim? I can have the kids make a name plate so that her seat is reserved. From what you’ve told me about her, she’ll probably get a kick out of seeing the kids up on stage…”

“Actually, Prim’s got a final on that day, so she can’t make it.” Katniss paused. “My guest is actually someone from my program…his name is Haymitch.”

Peeta’s stomach dropped. _Haymitch. That’s a new one._

Peeta removed his glasses and scrubbed his face with his free hand, relieved that Katniss couldn’t see his reaction over the phone. _Don’t read into this_ , he reminded himself. _It’s not a big deal_. “Yeah, that’s fine. That’s…that’s no problem at all. I’ll make sure to reserve a seat up at the front for him.”

“Thanks, Peeta,” Katniss replied, relief evident in her voice. “He probably won’t want to go, but it’s my first time conducting a choir with children so it’s kind of a big deal for me, and-”

“You don’t need to explain,” he blurted out, a touch more brusquely than he had intended. Whatever she was going to say about this Haymitch guy, he was pretty sure he didn’t want to hear it. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Oh. Okay.” An awkward silence followed. Finally, Katniss cleared her throat. “Um, so, I think I should probably get back to studying.”

Deflated, Peeta nodded. “Yeah, you’ve got a big day tomorrow. I’ll let the kids know that Madge - I mean, Ms. Undersee - will rehearse with them for the last couple of days since you’ve got your exams.”

“Madge?”

“Yeah, she’s their real music teacher.”

“Oh.”

Peeta winced at the hurt in her tone. _Shit_. “She’s like my closest friend at the school. She’s a first year teacher, just like me,” he added. _As if saying that will take away the sting of calling Madge their ‘real’ music teacher, you asshole._

“Well, I’m glad they’ll be in good hands,” she said. At that point, it was clear that Katniss wanted nothing more than to be off the phone. “I guess I’ll just see you at the concert.”

“Okay,” he replied tiredly. “I’ll let you go, then.”

“Okay,” she echoed. “Have a good night, Peeta.”

Desperate not to end the conversation on a sour note, he called out her name before she had the chance to hang up. “Katniss?”

“Yes?” she responded cautiously.

“Good luck with your exams. If you feel yourself getting stressed out, or need someone to talk to…I’m here.”

“Thank you, Peeta,” Katniss said, her voice soft. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

Ending the call, Peeta threw the phone onto his bed and sank back, replaying the conversation in his head. How had things gone south so quickly? So what if she wanted to bring another guy to a stupid school concert? It’s not like he was jealous, right?

Finally, that’s when it hit him: he _was_ jealous. And then he had gone and started talking about Madge, possibly insinuating that there was something going on between them, just because he didn’t want to look like an idiot…which, of course, had only made things worse.

Peeta let out a frustrated groan. He was falling for Katniss, and he’d ruined his chances with her before he even had an opportunity to do anything about it.

Yup. He was in trouble.

—

The next morning, Peeta walked into his classroom to find two angry little girls waiting for him.

Arms crossed over her chest, Posy Hawthorne tapped her foot on the carpet floor as she cast a reproachful glare in his direction. Standing by for moral support was Rue Stenberg, whose own stern look had given way to wide-eyed hesitation as soon as she’d seen Peeta enter the room.

Peeta arched a brow as he approached his desk, dropping his briefcase on the chair. “Can I help you ladies?”

“What did you do, Mr. Mellark?” Posy asked. It was more of an accusation than a question.

“I’m sorry, I don’t follow. What do you mean?”

Posy didn’t reply, but merely continued to glare. Rue looked uncertainly at her friend before turning to her teacher to explain. “She means about Miss Katniss,” Rue said quietly. “She told Posy last night that she won’t be doing any more rehearsals with us before the concert.”

Peeta glanced at Posy, who now seemed to be fighting back tears. “Well, that is true,” he admitted, “but Miss Katniss has some important exams over the next couple of days and doesn’t have time-”

“That’s not what she told me!” Posy interjected with a sniffle. “She said she wasn’t practicing with us because Ms. Undersee is taking over, so you don’t need her.” Tears started to fall as she asked, “Why is Ms. Undersee replacing her? Don’t you like her anymore?”

Guilt washed over him as the previous evening’s conversation replayed in his head for 74th time. Walking over to them, Peeta knelt in front of the little girl and handed her a tissue. “Posy,” he said gently, “Miss Katniss has become a really good friend, and I’m so grateful for all the help she’s given me in getting you guys ready for Friday. But this was always the plan. Ms. Trinket wanted all of the classes to have time with Ms. Undersee before the concert. Not all of them have had the benefit of a musician as talented as your cousin to work with, you know,” he added, hoping the extra compliment might provide some measure of comfort.

Unfortunately, his reassurances fell on deaf ears. “But she sounded so upset!” Posy countered.

“Well, of course she was upset,” Peeta reasoned. The two girls looked at him, confused. “I would be upset too, if I had to take some really big tests instead of spend my time singing with the best fourth graders this side of the Capitol,” he said matter-of-factly.

Posy and Rue were quiet for a moment as they weighed the truth of his words. “So,” Rue asked, “Miss Katniss will still be there on Friday?”

“She wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“And you still like her?”

Peeta paused, unsure of what to say. Finally, he decided to go with the truth. “Yes,” he said. “Very much.”

Posy wiped the last of her tears away. “Then you’d better bring her a present.”

Peeta laughed in spite of himself. If he wasn’t already aware of how much work he’d need to put into making things right with Katniss, he certainly was now.

“Don’t worry,” he assured them. “I’m already on it.”

—

“All right, everyone, there are only one or two classes ahead of us, so in a minute I’m going to need you to grab your music folders and line up,” Peeta instructed. “If you need to use the restroom, I suggest you do that now as well.” His students, all dressed up in festive colors, bounced excitedly in their seats as they nodded in assent.

“Where’s Miss Katniss?” Leevy Stone inquired.

“Ms. Trinket invited her to watch the other classes perform before we went up, but she’ll meet us backstage before you go on,” he explained. “Now, are you ready?”

“Ready!”

Taking a deep breath, Peeta lined his students up in the correct order and escorted them out of their classroom and toward the gymnasium-slash-auditorium where they would be performing. The small size of their school didn’t leave room for the students to sit and watch the other groups sing - something that secretly relieved Peeta, since it meant he didn’t have to worry about how his class’s performance compared to that of his colleagues.

Not that it was a competition. He just didn’t need any more pressure than he was already feeling.

The kids stood outside the stage door high-fiving the second graders, who had just finished their performance and were now on their way back to their own classroom. Just as the volume reached a level where Peeta felt it necessary to shush them, he heard Posy call out, “Katniss!”

Peeta turned to see Katniss approach them, accompanied by Ms. Trinket. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he took in the sight of her, clad in a dark green dress with a burnt orange sash about her waist. Her black hair hung down by her shoulders in soft waves, and she wore a shy smile as she moved closer to where they were standing.

She was even more beautiful in person than he could have possibly imagined.

Awe-struck, Peeta struggled to form a coherent thought, let alone come up with an articulate greeting. Thankfully, he was saved from having to speak by his students, who broke ranks as soon as Katniss was close enough and rushed over to give her hugs and high-fives. “You’re here! You made it!” they cried animatedly.

“Oof!” Katniss stumbled slightly at the onslaught of giddy fourth graders winding their arms around her petite frame. “Of course I made it,” she replied, smiling at them indulgently. “I would never miss a chance to conduct my favorite choristers.”

“Now, children,” Effie tutted, “I know you are very excited to have Miss Katniss here, but you’re also about to go onstage. I need you to line back up and follow Mr. Mellark through the stage door. Mr. Mellark?”

Shaking himself from his reverie, Peeta shifted back into teacher mode. “All right guys, just like we practiced yesterday. I need you to go up the steps as quietly as you can.”

“That goes for you, too, Sir,” Marvel Rogers pointed out. “No offense, but you kinda sound like an elephant.”

Peeta silenced him with a look before turning to the rest of the class. “Let’s go.”

Silently (or, as silent as a bunch of nine year olds can be), the group ascended the steps to the stage and watched from the wings as the third graders performed their rendition of “The First Noel.” Peeta and Katniss stood a few feet away, occasionally sneaking looks in each other’s direction as they minded the children.

Peeta gathered his nerve and leaned over to speak in Katniss’ ear. “I’m glad you made it,” he murmured. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

Despite the dark, he could see the shadow of a blush cross her cheeks. “Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself,” she replied.

“Is Haymitch in the audience?” he asked carefully.

Katniss shrugged. “He’s always late, so if he’s here, he’ll be standing somewhere in the back.” She turned to face Peeta directly, hesitation written on her features. “I think I owe you an apology, though. I think I may have given you the wrong impression about us.”

Peeta’s heart sank. _Here it comes_ , he thought. “You don’t owe me a thing,” he insisted. “It’s my fault; I never should have made the assumptions I did.”

Katniss breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. For a minute I thought you thought Haymitch and I were actually-”

The sounds of applause from the audience drowned out the rest of Katniss’ reply. Before Peeta could ask her what she meant, he found himself swept up in the process of shuffling his kids onto the stage and into formation as the third graders made their exit.

Effie sauntered onto the stage to introduce the next set of performers. “Thank you again to Mr. Boggs’ class for yet another wonderful performance! Who knew that Mr. Boggs could play the guitar? Now, next up we have a lovely surprise. One of our new teachers, Mr. Mellark, has been collaborating with Capitol University’s world-famous Call-a-Caroller organization to help the fourth graders learn their song. And tonight, we have a member of that group here to conduct the class as they perform ‘The Holly and the Ivy.’ Please join me in giving a warm St. Alma’s welcome to our special guest, Miss Katniss Everdeen!”

The kids cheered along with the crowd as Katniss appeared on stage. All former signs of shyness gone, she strode purposefully to the piano, giving the accompanist some last-minute instructions before walking to her spot in front of the risers. Giving the children a big smile, she mouthed “you’ll be awesome” before motioning for them to open their music folders.

Watching from the wings, Peeta beamed with pride as his students performed the song they had been practicing for weeks:

 _The holly and the ivy,_  
_When they are both full grown_  
_Of all the trees that are in the wood_  
_The holly bears the crown_  
_O the rising of the sun_  
_And the running of the deer_  
_The playing of the merry organ_  
_Sweet singing of the choir_  
  
_The holly bears a blossom_  
_As white as lily flower_  
_And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ_  
_To be our sweet Saviour_  
_O the rising of the sun_  
_And the running of the deer_  
_The playing of the merry organ_  
_Sweet singing of the choir…_

Peeta kept his eyes trained on Katniss as she conducted the children, marvelling at how easy she made it seem despite only having met them in person a few minutes before.

When they finished the final refrain, her gaze met his, and they shared a smile as applause rang out all around them.

He wished he could freeze the moment and live in it forever.

—

The hallways were crowded with parents and grandparents, eager to congratulate their children and whisk them home for the official start to the winter holiday. Peeta could hardly keep track of his students as they rushed off, yelling “Merry Christmas, Mr. Mellark!” as they ran into the waiting arms of their loved ones.

He was so engrossed by the task of seeing them safely into the care of the appropriate adults that he didn’t notice Katniss approach. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turned around to see her grinning at him.

“Hey.”

“Hey!” Instinctively, he reached out to give her a hug. It only lasted a moment - after all, there were at least a seventy people milling about the hallway - but when they pulled away, he immediately missed the connection. Smiling bashfully, Peeta pushed the bridge of his glasses up his nose. “You were amazing out there.”

Katniss’ smile widened at his compliment. “Thanks. It doesn’t quite feel real, you know? They sang wonderfully, and I had the best time conducting them. And it’s all thanks to you.”

“Thank your cousin,” he corrected. “Posy was the one who suggested Call-a-Caroller in the first place.”

“Well, when I win my first Peabody Award, I’ll be sure to thank her first,” she said with a grin.

“Speaking of thank yous,” Peeta began, “the students wanted me to give you something.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of them!”

“They’re good kids,” he agreed. “I, uh, I have something for you, too.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Katniss demurred, looking away.

“Oh trust me, it was the least I could do,” he insisted. “Anyway, it’s in my classroom if you wanted to-”

“Catnip!” a deep, male voice boomed out from down the corridor. Peeta and Katniss looked up to see a tall Adonis with dark hair making his way toward them.

“Oh my god, you made it!” Katniss exclaimed as broke into a run, throwing her arms around him as soon as she got close enough.

Peeta’s face fell. _So that must be Haymitch._

The young man loosely wrapped his arm around a grinning Katniss’s shoulder as she led him back to where Peeta was standing. “Peeta,” she said, “I’d like to introduce you to my-”

“Mr. Mellark!” yet another voice interrupted. Peeta turned to see Madge gesturing for him to join her. “I have someone for you to meet. Come quick!”

Peeta turned to face Katniss, his look apologetic. “I’m sorry…duty calls, I guess,” he lamented with a shrug. “But, um, I’ll talk to you later, okay? I’ll send your present home with Posy if I can catch her before she leaves.”

Katniss’s face twisted into a look of confusion and disappointment. “Okay. Merry Christmas, then.”

“You too. And, uh,” he added as he turned to walk away, “it was nice to meet you, Haymitch.”

Peeta kept his gaze forward as he walked toward Madge, determined not to let his own disappointment show. If Katniss responded, her words were lost in the din of the crowd.

—

The last of the families having finally departed, Peeta took stock of his empty classroom. Stacking chairs on top of the desks, he did some last minute tidying up before he himself took off for the winter break.

The euphoria from the concert had worn off, leaving him feeling conflicted about what had transpired that evening. While the performance itself had exceeded his expectations, he still wished he had had the courage to tell Katniss how he felt.

_Not that it would have mattered, what with Tall, Dark, and Musical to keep her company…_

A knock on the door brought Peeta out of his funk and back to the present. _Must be the Facilities staff_ , he thought. “Come in!” he called, continuing to go about his own chores.

“So, this is where the magic happens, huh?”

Peeta whirled around in shock. It was Katniss.

And she was…alone?

Lingering in the open doorway, Katniss gave him a timid smile. “Thought I would try to find you before you left for break."

Peeta gaped at her, open-mouthed. “I, uh…I thought you left with Haymitch,” he stammered.

“Haymitch? Last I heard, he was out getting drinks with Principal Trinket,” she replied with a smirk.

“But I thought-”

“But you thought what, that Haymitch was my boyfriend?” she asked incredulously. “Haymitch is my program advisor at Capitol. He came tonight to observe me conduct the choir. I’m applying to the conservatory for grad school, so I need him for a reference. Also, gross,” she added with a shudder. “I mean, no offense to your principal, but snarky middle-aged alcoholic isn’t really my type.”

Peeta’s brow remained furrowed in confusion. “Then, who was…?”

“The guy you thought was Haymitch?” Katniss supplied. “That was my cousin, Gale. Posy’s older brother. His flight into town was delayed, and none of us thought he was going to make it in time for the concert. He hasn’t been home in months, so I was excited to see him.”

A whirlwind of feelings attacked Peeta all at once: relief, elation, guilt…but most of all, embarrassment for having made so many stupid assumptions. _You. Are. A. Jackass_ , he told himself silently.

Katniss looked down, bouncing nervously on the balls of her feet. “So….” she hedged. “How was Ms. Undersee?”

This time, Peeta was not about to let any misunderstandings get in the way. “She’s great. She wanted to introduce me to her fiancée.”

It was Katniss’s turn to look confused. “Fiancée?”

“Yeah. High school sweetheart, apparently. But this was the first time I got to meet her.”

“Oh. Ohhh,” she intoned, her eyes widening in understanding. “That’s…that’s great.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Silence descended as they both tried to think of what to say next. “Oh!” Peeta cried, stalking over to his desk. “Before I forget. This for you, from the kids.”

Katniss walked toward him and took the gift out of his hand. Tearing open the tissue, she found a framed picture of his fourth grade class. All along the matting, the children had written notes of thanks and holiday wishes. “This is adorable,” she said. “Thank you.”

“That’s not all,” Peeta said, handing over a gift bag. “They also wanted you to have this, since no Christmas is complete without sweets.”

Katniss grinned as she pulled out an array of candies and chocolate. “Green tea Kit-Kats? I’ve never seen those before!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah, those are from Cato,” he replied. “He said he wanted to give you something that was the right color for the season…and your name,” he added with a laugh.

“Amazing. Please tell them I said thank you. This is too much.”

“Well, I hope not too too much,” he told her, revealing one final gift. “This one’s from me.”

Katniss looked up at him uncertainly. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Please, open it.”

Katniss inspected the long, thin box with an air of nervous suspicion before carefully unwrapping it. Removing the paper, she opened the box to find a conductor’s baton.

“Oh,” she breathed, lifting it out of its case. “It’s beautiful.”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I had it engraved,” Peeta said, reaching over to turn it. Along the length of the baton was an arrow, with the initials _KE_ etched into the base.

“It’s perfect. You really shouldn’t have.”

“Yeah, I did,” he said. _Come on, Mellark. It’s now or never._ “You don’t know what the past few weeks have meant to my students…and to me.”

Taking a deep breath, he plowed on before he lost his nerve. “Look. Three weeks ago, I was convinced that there was no way I could have survived this whole concert experience. I basically phoned Call-a-Caroller out of desperation. But no matter how strange the circumstances, I’m serious when I say I’ve never been so grateful to be tone-deaf in my whole life, because it meant that I was able to get to know this kind, funny, beautiful girl with the most incredible voice I’ve ever heard.  And she didn’t seem to mind that I basically put my foot in my mouth every single time we spoke,” he added with a sheepish smile.

“Well, you seem to be doing okay right now,” Katniss teased.

“Maybe, but only after I assumed that your cousin was your mentor, and that your mentor was your boyfriend,” Peeta pointed out.

“Yeah, well, I thought you were dating the music teacher.”

“There’s only one musician I’m interested in dating, and that’s you.”

Peeta’s eyes widened as he realized what he’d just said. _Well, if she hadn’t gotten the hint before, it would certainly be difficult to avoid the truth now._ “That is…I mean…”

“Okay.”

Peeta froze. “What?”

Katniss smiled. “I said, okay. I’ll go on a date with you.” She toyed with a lock of her hair as she admitted, “I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t planned on asking you the same thing.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Seriously?”

“Well, yeah,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m not really all that forward when it comes to this kind of stuff, but figured my odds were pretty good after Rue and Posy told me they got you to confess that you ‘liked me very much.’”

_Bless those girls. Those lovely, meddling, crazy little girls._

Emboldened, he stepped closer toward her. “So,” he murmured lowly, “you seem to have me at a distinct disadvantage. You know exactly how I feel about you, but I’m still not exactly sure how you feel about me.”

Peeta heard her breath hitch at their sudden closeness. “I told you,” she said, her voice shaky. “I’m not good at saying things in front of people. But maybe if you closed your eyes, I could find a way…”

Peeta shut his eyes as requested, waiting for her to say the words that confirmed what he hoped to be true. But no words came.

Instead, he felt her lips touch his.

_Well, that works, too._

Peeta quickly recovered from his initial surprise. Pulling his glasses off, he kissed her back - tentatively at first, but with increasing fervor. Her hands wound into the curls at the base of his neck and he groaned, granting her tongue entrance. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling Katniss impossibly close as he explored her mouth with his.

Realizing they were making out in his classroom, Peeta reluctantly pulled away when they came up for air a minute later.

The pair stared at each other, still panting, before dissolving into a fit of giggles a moment later. “We probably shouldn’t be doing this in here,” he admitted. “But, um, if don’t have any plans tonight, maybe we could have dinner somewhere…?”

“I’d like that,” Katniss responded with a smile. “But after, would you be willing to come with me to Call-a-Caroller? It’s the last night of the program, and I’d love for you to meet everyone.”

“That depends. Can I make a request?” Peeta asked hopefully.

“Of course. What do you want to hear?”

“What are you doing New Year’s Eve?”

“Classic. I can sing that one, for sure.”

“No,” Peeta corrected with a grin. “I mean, what are you doing New Year’s Eve?”

Katniss smirked. “You’re such a dork.” He just kissed her in response.

Putting his glasses back on, Peeta grabbed his things and walked with Katniss out of the classroom. Smiling to himself, he gave the room one final look before shutting off the lights.

He knew that in the new year, he’d be returning to a classroom of smugly smiling nine-year-olds, full of “I-told-you-so’s” and inappropriate questions about when he and Miss Katniss were planning to get married. 

Peeta took Katniss’s hand. He wasn’t going to worry about that. For now, he was just content to spend as much of his winter break as possible with her.

_Best. Christmas. Ever._

**Author's Note:**

> With eternal thanks to Dealan, the best sister/beta on the planet, for making this intelligible.
> 
> I'm deinde-prandium on tumblr. Feel free to say hello.


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